1. Technical Field
This application relates to a surgical stapling apparatus, and more particularly, to a cartridge assembly including multiple cartridge halves and a magazine for reloading the surgical stapling apparatus in-situ.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical devices wherein tissue is first grasped or clamped between opposing jaw structure and then joined by surgical fasteners are well known in the art. In some instruments a knife is provided to cut the tissue which has been joined by the fasteners. The fasteners are typically in the form of surgical staples but two part polymeric fasteners can also be utilized.
Instruments for this purpose can include two elongated members which are respectively used to capture or clamp tissue. Typically, one of the members carries a staple cartridge which houses a plurality of staples arranged in at least two lateral rows while the other member has an anvil that defines a surface for forming the staple legs as the staples are driven from the staple cartridge. Generally, the stapling operation is effected by a cam bar, a drive sled or other similar mechanism, that travels longitudinally through the staple cartridge and acts upon the staple pushers to sequentially eject the staples from the staple cartridge. A knife can travel between the staple rows to longitudinally cut and/or open the stapled tissue between the rows of staples. Some staplers apply a double row of staples on each side of the incision by providing a disposable loading unit in which a cam member moves through an elongate guide path between two sets of staggered staple carrying grooves. Staple drive members are located within the grooves and are positioned in such a manner so as to be contacted by the longitudinally moving cam member to effect ejection of the staples from the staple cartridge of the disposable loading unit.
In endoscopic or laparoscopic procedures, surgery is performed through a small incision or through a narrow cannula inserted through small entrance wounds in the skin. In order to address the specific needs of endoscopic and/or laparoscopic surgical procedures, endoscopic surgical stapling devices have been developed. An example of an endoscopic surgical stapling device is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,033 to Milliman et al., the entire contents of which is incorporated herein by reference.
It would be extremely beneficial to provide a surgical device for use during laparoscopic and/or endoscopic surgical procedures that can be employed to provide multiple firings of the surgical device without requiring removal of the surgical device from the surgical site.